Methanogenic biodegradation of C9 to C12 n-alkanes initiated by Smithella via fumarate addition mechanism

Jia-Heng Ji; Lei Zhou; Serge Maurice Mbadinga; Muhammad Irfan; Yi-Fan Liu; Pan Pan; Zhen-Zhen Qi; Jing Chen; Jin-Feng Liu; Shi-Zhong Yang; Ji-Dong Gu; Bo-Zhong Mu

doi:10.1186/s13568-020-0956-5

AMB Express (Feb 2020)

Methanogenic biodegradation of C9 to C12 n-alkanes initiated by Smithella via fumarate addition mechanism

Jia-Heng Ji,
Lei Zhou,
Serge Maurice Mbadinga,
Muhammad Irfan,
Yi-Fan Liu,
Pan Pan,
Zhen-Zhen Qi,
Jing Chen,
Jin-Feng Liu,
Shi-Zhong Yang,
Ji-Dong Gu,
Bo-Zhong Mu

Affiliations

Jia-Heng Ji: State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering and School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology
Lei Zhou: State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering and School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology
Serge Maurice Mbadinga: State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering and School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology
Muhammad Irfan: State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering and School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology
Yi-Fan Liu: State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering and School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology
Pan Pan: State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering and School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology
Zhen-Zhen Qi: State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering and School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology
Jing Chen: State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering and School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology
Jin-Feng Liu: State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering and School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology
Shi-Zhong Yang: State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering and School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology
Ji-Dong Gu: School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong
Bo-Zhong Mu: State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering and School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13568-020-0956-5
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 10, no. 1
pp. 1 – 9

Abstract

Read online

Abstract In the present study, a methanogenic alkane-degrading (a mixture of C9 to C12 n-alkanes) culture enriched from production water of a low-temperature oil reservoir was established and assessed. Significant methane production was detected in the alkane-amended enrichment cultures compared with alkane-free controls over an incubation period of 1 year. At the end of the incubation, fumarate addition metabolites (C9 to C12 alkylsuccinates) and assA genes (encoding the alpha subunit of alkylsuccinate synthase) were detected only in the alkane-amended enrichment cultures. Microbial community analysis showed that putative syntrophic n-alkane degraders (Smithella) capable of initiating n-alkanes by fumarate addition mechanism were enriched in the alkane-amended enrichment cultures. In addition, both hydrogenotrophic (Methanocalculus) and acetoclastic (Methanothrix) methanogens were also observed. Our results provide further evidence that alkanes can be activated by addition to fumarate under methanogenic conditions.

Published in AMB Express

ISSN: 2191-0855 (Online)
Publisher: SpringerOpen
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Technology: Chemical technology: Biotechnology; Science: Microbiology
Website: http://www.amb-express.com/

About the journal

Abstract

Keywords